Astor stared silently at the far ceiling above him. He sat up and gazed about his room, unable to sleep.

Strange... I was able to sleep fine on the cold, hard floor just moments before the last battle, but now, I can't seem to ge even a wink.

Shaking off the vision of the sloshing waters bashing against the jagged shores surrounding the battlefield, Astor got up to take a stroll. Pushing pass the door and out onto the eerie hallway, he walked down the dark stairway and onto the stony pavement outside. His feet shuffled and crunched from the dust and leaves lying on the pebbly surface top. Strolling leisuirly out onto the garden center, his eyes became fixated on the vibrantly glowing tree in the middle of the enclosure.

Striding up to hulking outline, Astor leaned onto the blue, hollow bark and stared back at the mansion. Even from back then, the sight from here hadn't changed. The tree had an mysterious effect surrounding it. As one stared at the tree from afar, it would seem to be unruffled by the forces of nature. When staring from the perspective of the tree, the world would seem to freeze and, in this space, only the sways of the tree branches above, with their snow-colored leaves, seemed to move from the incoming breaths of wind.

Astor inhaled in the scent of the night air. The cool, humid air filled his lungs. He smelt the tender scent of wet grass and nutty treebark before exhaling. As he closed his eyes, the afterimages of the glittering dewdrops blinking in and out from below him remained in his dark vision, just as the the stars did above. Suddenly, he felt an indescribable sense of anxiety erupt from within himself. Unable to shake off the distressing feeling, Astor began to recall the past events to ease his worries. The moments leading up until now had felt so profound that he hadn't actually had the time to think about what happened. Death was normal and he had always felt that its was the most efficient way of dispatching criminals. Efficient, but not...correct. Astor sighed deeply, letting his breath quiver from the cold. Right now, the most surreal thing was being able to sit here again just like he once had ten years ago.

I survived. So now, I should just live... right?

He wondered why he thought such a obvious thing. Working mindlessly for so long had caused the bounderies between living and surviving to blurr, but Astor knew, somehow, there were stark differences between the two terms. He found it vexing.

After listening a bit to melancholic drum of the night crickets, Astor took a gander at the sprawling vegetation around him. The gentle blue light from behind illuminated the tips of garden bushes and roses to a bright hue of blue. Compared to the distant moon's shine, the tree seemed a better fit for lighting up the dark landscape around him. Astor ran his hands along the grainy surface of the tree trunk. It was just as calm and quiet as on the night before the last battle, but this time, something was different.

He didn't know what it was, but nonetheless, the inscrutable ambiance sparked a jolt of excitment that ran up from his stomach, through his heart, and to his throat. Quite suddenly, a night breeze blew against his cover, causing a series of shivers to also run up his spine.

Well then, lets get back to that warm bed.

The sun was high in the air as Astor followed an older servant through a empty corridor. He had always wondered why his family had felt the need to build such a overly large hallway. Soon, they approached a room with a door knob which seemed to be made of pure bronze. It was his mother's own private dining quarters. The kitchen was located on the first floor, and his mother had felt that she herself was too busy to traverse the multitudes of steps between the dinning hall and her own office room.

Astor was led to a short figure sitting in one of the two chairs located inside the room. Sitting promplty down, he waited for his mother to start speaking. Next to them was a fireplace that was prelit prior to their arrival. Astor glanced at the metal grill in front of the fireplace as it started to glow orange hot from the heat.

After reminiscing about idle time spent in front of a campfire, he, then, glanced at his mother who was leisurely sipping tea. She was now in her late 40s, and Astor could feel a distinct difference from how she was now compared to the past. She seemed more laxed and.... happy.

"How have you been these past ten years?" he asked.

"Fine...," she replied.

Astor waited for her next few words.

"What happened at Chester Castle?" she spoke in a cold tone without looking up from her cup.

Astor looked down, frowning bitterly at the duties he had performed there.

"After seeing the suffering people there, I couldn't bear staying just a helpless child."

"Indeed, instead of becoming one of the most influenctial proponents for this country, you chose to sacrifice yourself for something as ludicrous as honor," his mother replied.

"I guess you could say it's something along those lines," Astor affirmed. In a sense, she was spot on.

Silence once again clouded the atmosphere. Astor stared at the crackling fire pit, watching the logs collapse under the heat.

"I heard Bertram got married while I was away. Which family is that lady from?" Astor announced, remembering a dark-haired, short woman eating dinner with them. She seemed just a little older than himself.

"She's from the Garrent family. She occasionally visited Bertram when they were little."

Astor scanned his memories and found no traces of meeting such a girl. If Astor recalled correctly, the Garrent were once great nobles presiding near the capital of Faldrick. They were exiled for reasons unknown to Astor. The book on houses mentioned little about them other than the fact that they were supposedly descendants of an ancient royal lineage.

"So what was the reason for this marriage?"

"The Garrent presently hold a portion of land that is known to be rich in natural resources. Securing ties with them would be exceptionally beneficial to both our families."

Astor contemplated. The Jacobs family was well known in the east for their low prices and high quality cloth. Not to mention the number of ties his family had with other merchants, it would be foolish to deny his mother's proposal. It seems that the Garrent held quite a prosperous plot of land to be able to tempt his mother like this.

"What are the Syion's activities of late?" Astor worried.

"We've respected its territory. As long as we don't attempt to invade its lands, then it seems indifferent towards our expansion." his mother replied.

Little is known about the Syions of Old; what's written in ancient manuscripts is that they were once regular animals that had undergone dramatic changes brought on by the blessings of their habitats. What's most interesting to scholars is that most environments seemed to be able to choose which animal would become its guardian. After the transformation, the animal is then able to utilize a terrifying assortment of magic, with the types of magic unique to each creature. Syions are just as unpredictable as the forces of nature. No one has ever been able to find out if they are actually sentient beings or just mindless slaves that are victims to their own instinctual drives.

Astor nodded at the good news. The Syion of the Tunmas forest lived very close to the territories of the Jacobs and many others. It was of utmost priority to keep an eye on the great being.

After a small break from their previous topic, Astor brought up her work ethics.

"It seems that work has kept you busy."

His mother exhaled lightly, "Time really flies by, one moment your 12-year-old son disappears off into war and the next minute, you become a grandmother."

Astor saw her mother's facial expression relax at the mention of being a grandmother. An aspect he hadn't seen ever since his father had died. It seems he has his niece to thanks for her change in behavior. He wouldn't have been able to have such a lax conversation otherwise.

"How old is that little girl?"

"She'll be turning 10 this coming summer solstice. We are celebrating her birthday soon so be sure to prepare a suitable gift."

Astor nodded. The solstice is three weeks away. Thinking to himself, he had never really introduced himself to his new family members. When Bertram arrives, he will do so properly.

"What was that blue tint in your eyes earlier?" her mother suddenly spoke.

"Huh? Oh, that..." Astor thought for a moment, wondering if he should tell the truth.

"It was the effects of a gem I recently bought," he lied.

Her mother's eyebrows twitched momentarily.

"You're able to utilize gems?"

"Quite efficiently, yes. It is not as difficult as one would think."

"Then perhaps you could teach Aricia. It would be a useful ability for her to have and I hadn't the time to find a teacher for such occasion."

Astor's heart skipped. He had never experienced being a teacher but the thought of having a pupil thrilled him.

Aricia..., that must be the name of that little girl, he thought.

"I'd be glad too. It'll be a great change of pace from what I had been accustomed to"

Astor accepted. It was time to change his terrible way of life anyways.

Again, his mother's eyebrows twitched. Astor couldn't tell if it was curiosity or indifference, but he paid little heed. He was finally going to get a chance to show his skills without the dreadful feeling of death hanging about. The thought made him smile warmly.

"Then you'll start tomorrow... unless you're still weary from your travel." his mother questioned.

"No...*ahem*... I'll be fine. We'll start tomorrow." he corrected.

"Very well then. I've got some business to attend to. Make sure to greet your brother as he arrives." she said while standing up to walk away.

"Of course," Astor replied nonchalantly.

Remembering the scene at the dinner table, Astor's face flushed.

Like I would remember which one does what. Astor tried to reason.

He spent eight years using his hands to eat his meals. There was no need for worthless etiquette practices there. Sighing to himself, Astor got up and proceeded to his room. They seemed to have sat there for a while. The sun was quite clearly lower than it was prior to the conversation. Resigning himself to his room, Astor began thinking about past events.

"I guess I should start relearning how to be a proper gentleman," he whispered in the empty room before letting sleep take him.

Aricia woke up to the sound of her maid shuffling around her room.

"Good morning Miss Aricia," her maid exclaimed brightly.

"Good morning..." Aricia replied with bleary-eyed.

Aricia put on her usual casual apparel and walked out the room with her maid escort. She quickly ate her breakfast alone in the huge dining hall and walked into the study where Margery usually resides.

"Good morning Lady Aricia."

"Good morning Miss Margery."

"I heard about what happened during dinner. By the sounds of it, I, too, would have wanted to be excused early," Miss Margery sympathized.

Aricia felt laughter tickle her as she recalled the incident. Knowing better, though, she stifled her giggles and nodded in affirmance.

"Today, we'll be cutting our time short. You will have a new subject matter to study after this."

"What will that be?" Aricia questioned.

"The utilization of animal crystals. Your own uncle will be tutoring you in this art."

Aricia felt the butterflies in her stomach flutter. She read about animal gems and how some of them can make you shoot fireballs and jets of water. The thought of becoming an almighty wizard made her want to jump with joy. Finishing up her general studies, she walked to the open fields behind their house. The summer sun felt comfortably warm against her skin as she stepped out from the shade. Aricia could feel a strong cool breeze blow across the open field. While smelling the fresh morning grass, she proceeded towards the figure standing in the middle of the field.

Seeing her uncle with his usual purple hooded cape, Aricia introduced herself.

"Greetings uncle. My name is Aricia. Thank you for the pleasure of allowing me to study under your guidance." she managed to say without slurring her words.

"Hello, Aricia. The pleasure's all mine. Let's begin." he exclaimed excitedly.

"First, hold this gem."

Her uncle handed her a blue gem. Aricia became engrossed with the gem as she stared deeply at its colors. It was really lovely. The gem had grains of glittering red and violet specks embedded into the swirling blue tint at its center.

"Beautiful isn't it? It matches your eyes quite well; that's why I specifically chose this one," her uncle said while lowering his head level to hers.

Aricia stared at the gem a bit before looking back at Astor. Aricia was finally able to see up close what her uncle looks like behind that purple hood of his. He shared little similarities with her father. Instead, he kind of looked like her grandma but in a kinder way.

Aricia realized that she must have halted the lesson with her distractions, but her uncle didn't seem to mind.

"This particular gem is from a red polychromatic cicada. When used correctly, it should emit a relaxing humming sound." her uncle pointed out.

Her uncle placed his hand over hers and released a current of blue mana into the gem. The gem glowed, and she heard the low-shrills, of the reverberating crickets, resonating as they trailed off into silence with each verse. Aricia eye's widened. She hadn't expect such distinct sounds to emerge from the inanimate object.

"Cool isn't it," Astor said.

Aricia watched as her uncle smiled brightly. Aricia looked back down at the gem while nodding.

"Now it's your turn to try." Astor stood back and closed his eyes. "The first thing to do is think of your energy. Then, press it into the gem while keeping your energy refined. While it's being consumed, continue to channel more mana into a refined flow. After that, allow the natural attributes of the gem to manifest by stopping your control of the mana refining process. Keep swirling the unrefined essence into the crystal without losing focus on separating the "gathering" and "refining" methods you use for your own energy ," Astor explained. ".........." Aricia stared back at him, confused. Her uncle scratched his chin with a silly expression. "I guess that was a bit too much," he murmured. "Okay, lets start with the "Gathering" process. Try to imagine yourself in a clear blue ball." Aricia nodded and closed her eyes. She imagined her two red eyes glowing behind a transparent blue sphere in dark space. Slowly, she felt an ominous source of energy rise from around her, giving her chills. "Can you feel a strange, tingly feeling?" Astor asked softly. "I think so," Aricia murmured without breaking from her focus. "Good. Now imagine that energy flowing together like water." Aricia imagined and watched as, from the darkness, she saw blue clouds of energy form together and trail after one another in an elegant, gentle flow. "I think I got it." "Great, now stop manipulating the mana and naturally allow it to seep into your body by clearing the blue ball around you." Aricia imagined as her sphere faded away. She froze in place as the blue energy motioned closer to her. Just as the she felt the energy brush up against her skin, Aricia lost focus and broke from her trance, feeling the beads of cold sweat crawl down her neck. She looked up towards Astor, weary from the exertion. "Don't worry. That happens to everyone on their first try. Keep going," Astor reassured her. Aricia repeated the whole process again before stopping short of the absorption process. She couldn't stand the ruthless, indifferent sensation that filled her mind. Panting heavily, Aricia looked at Astor with a desire to stop. "Hmm, you seem quite susceptible to its oppressive nature. Why don't we try doing an exercise that'll ease your worries." Astor mentioned. Astor picked Aricia up and sat her on his shoulders before Aricia could react. "You were probably as light as me when I was smaller." Astor chuckled. Aricia doubted that. How could he have been this tall if he was as short as her? Aricia relaxed as they walked across the field. She gazed at the surroundings from the taller perspective. Looking around. Aricia was impressed by the greater extension of her view. She could now easily see past the tall grasses of the field that once blocked her vision of the stone fencing. Everything seemed so much smaller now that she was higher. She watched as they approached a low hanging tree. "Can you stand on this?" Astor asked while lifting her to the lowest branch just above his head. Aricia nodded while leaping off his shoulders onto the branch. Standing up on the thick, round platform, she awaited further commands. "I know this may sound crazy, but I want you to close your eyes and lean back into my arms." Aricia felt jitters crawl up her back. She glanced at him hesitantly. She was never done such a strange thing. Her uncle tried reassured her, "Don't worry. I'll catch you." Aricia took a deep breath and turned her back towards Astor. Closing her eyes, she felt her feet slide off the branch as she fell backward. The sensation of falling tickled her stomach and caused her mind raced. She seemed to be in freefall for longer than she was comfortable with. Why was I falling for so long? Did he lie about catching me and moved out of the way? Aricia despaired. Just as she braced herself for impact, Aricia felt her uncle's arms break her fall. "See, that wasn't that bad, was it?" Astor teased. Aricia breathed a sign of relief as the blood rushed out of her head. "Let's keep doing it until you get used to that sensation." What a demon! Aricia wanted to cry out. Aricia anguished as she was hoisted back up onto the branch. Aricia took another breath and fell backward again. This time, she landed into the arms of her uncle a little quicker than the first time. Aricia was shocked as she repeated the exercise. She noticed that with each consecutive attempt, she was landing in her uncle's arms slightly quicker. She realized that she must have been overthinking the fall, distorting it from what it actually was. Of course, that didn't stop the terrifying sensation of falling, but experiencing it right before landing safely had started to become strangely enticing. Aricia smiled as she landed once more in Astor's arms. "Looks like you're ready now," Astor called out as she fell once more. Gently placing her down, Astor gave her the gem again. Aricia held the gem firmly and breathed in and out a couple of times. She closed her eyes and focused on refining the magic around her space before letting her barrier fade away. Aricia felt the energy invade her mind, but the sensations of relief that she had felt from the previous exercise still lingered in her mind. She endured it and felt the energy slowly warp under her command. Just as she felt she could hold any more energy, she was shoved out of her focus and back into reality. Aricia gazed at her hands and saw the translucent swirl of a blue aura dancing around her fingertips. "You did it!" Her uncle exclaimed. He hoisted her up into his arms and twirled halfway around in a circle. Catching himself, her uncle placed her back down on the ground and cleared his throat. "Good job, tomorrow we will move onto the activation phase," her uncle said while looking away. Aricia chuckled a little before gazing back at the energy in her hands that were now fading. It didn't empower her or anything like that. Instead, it felt like another extension of herself. She sensed the fatigue she would feel if she tried using it. Her heart flared with inspiration. Aricia couldn't wait to uncover more about this mysterious power. "Thank you, uncle!" She said excitedly before bounding off towards the mansion. She couldn't wait for tomorrow. Learning new things and watching her uncle's silly antics made her feel excited for what's to come.